Product Reviews
Although this compilation is very good, the documentation is vague -- only a few dates are given for the 25 tracks, let alone original label info. What's for sure is that everything is from the mid-'50s to the mid-'70s. On many of the earlier cuts in the sequence, you can tell that the recordings almost certainly date from the 1950s and/or early '60s. As Makeba is not the sole singer on some of these, they presumably are drawn from her recordings as a member of groups, possibly all of them being from her stint in the Manhattan Brothers. (Really, it's true: more exact liner notes do help reviewers more effectively inform their readers!) Regardless, these earlier tracks are a nice blend of South African folk music with American jazz, pop, and even doo wop-influenced songwriting, arrangements, and harmonies. Makeba sounds at her best, though, on cuts that emphasize the indigenous South African elements, like "Umquokozo" and "Pata Pata"; the propulsive "Kilimanjaro" is the best thing on the disc, really giving her a chance to hang loose and uninhibited. A few of the final songs on the CD, presumably dating from the 1970s, are not as exciting due to the slicker, more funkified production, though Makeba still sings well on those. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Product Notes
Excellent compilation from the most important female vocalist to emerge out of South Africa. She originally came to prominence with the Manhattan Brothers before leaving to play with her own all-female group the Skylarks. In 1958 she took on the female lead in the self-styled Jazz opera ' King Kong' which electrified both black and white audiences with its rough township story and made a star of Miriam.At the height of her fame, however, Miriam left South Africa for America. There she quickly re-established her career but her outspoken views on apartheid and subsequent marriage to black activist Stokeley Carmichael greatly irritated the South African government who revoked her citizenship and right to return to her homeland. With the collapse of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela, however, Miriam Makeba returned to South Africa in 1990 and played her first concert there in 30 years in 1991.This is an essential selection from South Africa's most important female vocalist. It includes her most celebrated songs 'Pata Pata' and 'The Click Song'. This beautifully packaged CD, includes comprehensive notes on Miriam's life and her music.